New data centres to boost SA’s IT capacity
Sydney-based data centre owner DCI Data Centers has bought land at Mawson Lakes Technology Park to build a second Adelaide site.
An artist's impression of the $70 million data centre DCI will build alongside its existing Kidman Park centre.
The company will also invest $70 million into expanding its existing Kidman Park site with construction of the ADL02 project beginning today.
The new Kidman Park centre will be built alongside its ADL01 site and increase capacity by 4 MW taking it up to 5.4 MW total IT Load, with Zone 3 physical security and above.
The facility will also deliver Adelaide’s first TIER-Ready III, secure cloud edge data centre and is expected be ready for service in the second half of 2022.
DCI says about 80 trade and construction jobs will be created throughout the construction period.
The company has also secured Development Approval for its ADL 03 site at Mawson Lakes and says it will make further announcements about the TIER-Ready III facility over the coming months.
DCI Chief Executive Officer for Australia and New Zealand Malcolm Roe said the new Adelaide sites would help South Australia become a digital infrastructure hub capable of retaining and attracting critical ICT loads.
“South Australia has been successful in attracting global defence, space, high-tech and creative industries. In fact, this state is home to the nation’s defence industrial complex – a world-class precinct,” he said.
“Industries like Defence go hand in hand with digital infrastructure, which in turn makes this state a critical data centre region and supports a thriving digital infrastructure ecosystem.
“ADL02 is the first of its kind in South Australia – we have committed $70 million to this facility which will provide mission-critical support to some of the state’s priority growth sectors, offering the highest levels of security so they can conduct business with certainty, using local infrastructure.”
DCI has one centre operating in Sydney’s Eastern Creek and its initial Kidman Park site, known as ADL01. It is also developing a site in Auckland and has plans to further expand into South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.
Roe said there was a direct multiplier effect of one-to-five when you localise a new data centre.
“What that means is that for every data centre job created by the new facility, a further 5 ICT and associated industry jobs are created,” he said.
In addition, as data centres have a design and operational life of 30 years those jobs endure and have a long-term impact on the local economy.”
Premier Steven Marshall and Trade and Investment Minister Stephen Patterson attended a sod-turning ceremony at Kidman Park to kick off the ADL02 project today.
Patterson said the further investment by DCI Data Centers would establish world-leading critical digital infrastructure in South Australia, providing opportunities for local industry.
“Investments like this will further build the hi-tech ecosystem in South Australia and drive sustainable and long-term careers in our great state, which in turn attracts interest from other global players,” he said.
